Railway block-signal.



mfsssl'o. A PATENTFVD Avans, 19W J. SHANNON & .1.5. woop.

RAILWAY BLOCK SIGNAL- APPLICATION FILED A111.11.=19ov.`

,LS/wwwa 2@ Ururnn sTATEs entrent orme.

- JOHN SHANNON AND JAMES n. Woon, or iotrttnro, OREGON.

RAILWAY nnocnstennn.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Ang. 13, 1907.

Application filed April 11, 1907. Serial lilo. 367.604.

To all ttltomit may concern:

Be it known that. we. JOHN SHANXQN and JAMES -Woon, citizens of the United States. residing' at Port land. in the county ot' Multnomah and State of Oregon,v haveinrented a new and useful Railway Block-Signal; ot which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to improvements in railway block signal-s. and its object is to provide a means lprovided an air pipe coming from the air-brake system,

which air pipe carries Aan air valve so located beneath the engine as to be in the pathot' a reciprocating member actuated 'by -t he inclined member in theroadway when the latter ts sulliciently elevated to come into the path of the engine-carried member. The air valve may Valso have a connection to a point within reach of the engineman so that the air valve may be closed when it is desired to release the brakes in the usual manner.

The invention will be fully understood from the following detailed -description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings forming Apart ot' this specification, in which,-

Figure 1 is a cross section ot' a railway track showing so much of the mechanism carried upon the engine as is necessary for the understanding of the im'ention and also representing a semaphore signal and means t'or operating the same located alongside ot' therailway;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of a. portion ot' a. railway track and ot' so much ot' an engine and parts canied thereby as is necessary for the understanding of the present invention; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section7 with parts shown in elevation. oi the air valve; andFig. 4 is cross cction o1' the structure shown in Fig. o.

referring to the drawings, there are shown the rails 1 I sithot thc member 3 about midway Oi its length an eye 4 to which is connected a chain passing down and under a pulley t' located in asuitable trough 7 extending laterally across the track, and this 5 ultimately passes under another pulley 8 located at a switch tower at the proper distance from the track. and from this pulley S the chain 5 extends upwardly to an operating lever 9 on one side ot' the pivot ot' the latter. While this operating lever is shown as pivoted on the upper end oi a post 10, it will b'e understood that this is simply indicativo of a suitable signal tower; and while the connection between the lever 9 and the spring member 3 has been referred to asia chain, it will be understood that it may consist of connected chains and rods or any other system of connection adapted to-transmit motion from the lever 9 to the spring member 3. i Attached to the lever 9 on` the side of its pivot opposite to that to which the chain 5 is attached, is another connecting chain or similar structure l1 passing down and under a pulley 12, thence under a pulley 13 on a semaphore post 14, from which pulley 13 the connection 11 extends upward to the semaphore arm 15. lt will be seen from the connections described that when the lever 9 is moved in one direction the sentaT pphore. arm 15 will be dropped .from the danger position to the safety position and atthe same time the spring member?) will be pulled downward at its middle portion until it assumes about the position shownin solid li'nes in Fig. 2: When the lever 9 is moved in the other direction the semaphore arm or target will be moved to the danger position and the .spring member 3 will be permitted to assume the position shown in dotted lines in`l `ig, 2, to which latter position it constantly tends because o its resiliency. In other words, when the semaphore o1' target 15 is in the danger position the spring member 3 is in its highest position above the level of the track, while when the semaphore or target 175 is in the safety position the spring member 3 is depressed to a considerable extent below the inst-mentioned position.

Coming, now, to the parts located on the engineJ it will be noted that the engine is represented by the side bars 1G of the engineframe. Extending across these side bars there is an air pipe 1T onnected at one end to another pipe 18 coming from the a-ir-brake'system. About midway oi the length ot' the pipe 17 there is included a l'ixed valve member 19 into. the threaded ends of which the two sections of the pipe 17, .which pipe is .divided for the purpose, are screwed. This valve member 19 has an 'exterior taper 20 to which is l'itted a movable valve casing'21, the interior ot' which latter is suitably tapered to lit the taper 20 of the stationary Valve member 19. The valve casing 2l is provided with a port 22 and the stationary valve member 19 is provided with a port T he construction is such that on rotating the valve member 21 in one direction the two ports 22 and 23 may be brought into coincidence and `then` the pipe 17 is placed in communication with the external atmosphere, and when the valve member 2l is moved inthe' other 'dito'assume .the position'shown in reetion the two ports are 'moved out of eoineidence and the communieatioli of the pipe i7 wit-h the external atmosphere is ent oli. The smaller end oi the tixed member lt) ol the valve is to reeeive nuts 2t which serve to maintain the movable member 2l oi` the valve on the lix'ed member.- "lhe movable meinberZl is provided with a radially extending arm i5' and may also have another radially ext-ending arm 2G on the opposite side, which latter arm is connected b va link 27, or, if necessary7 a system o links, to a lever 2/8 Within reach of the engineman. l

Securely fast to the engine frame by means of bra-ee rods 29is a vertically disposed sleeve 30 located below the l'ree end of the arm 25 ot' the movable member 2l of the valve. Within this sleeve 30 there is a rod 3l having at its lower end a roller 32 and at a point below its upper end a collar 33, the latter acting as a stop to prevent the rod 3l. from falling downward out oi the. sleeve St). i

The normal position of the valve member 2l is such that its arm 25 is in approximately the position `shown in solid lines in lig. 2, and in this position the ports 22 and 2li are out ol coincidence. Also, 'when the valve is in this position the t'ree end oi' the arm'25 is in contact with or in close relation to the upper endl oi the rod 31,' whieh in its normal position has its collar 33 in ein ageiiientl with the upper end of the sleeve 30.

\ The relation o the parts is such that when they are -in the positions just described they are out oi the path ot' the spring member 3 in the roadbed when the latter is in the depressed position shown in full lines 3 be permitted in Fig. 2. lf, now, the spring member dotted lines in Fig,` 2,

it will be inthe path ot' the roller 32 and the latter willride ufpXon said spring member orcing the rodSl 1113-' ward through the sleeve 30 and,l therefore, moving the arm 25' of the movable valve member to an extent suilcient to bring the ports 22 and 23 into coincidence. This will allow the escape oi' the air .from the air pipe Hand the brakes will be applied in the usual manner.

It will now be seen tha-'t ii the semaphore or target )5 be set aty danger and the engineman fails to observe the signal either through negligence or for any other cause, and therefore brakes on a train will be at once set so that 'the train will be brought; to a standstill, and the arrangement externally threaded )asses a danwel' sienal the air CJ D 7 is such that the setting oi' the brakes may be the emergeney set oi' the brakes so that the train will be brought to' a standstill very quickly.

1. A menns for preventingY trains from passing: block signals comprisingv an :tir valve mounted on an engine. an opernting arm extending therefrom. a rod supported on said engine for vertical movement and havin; its upper end in direetopcrative relntio' to the valve arm and its lower'end in elose-relation to the roadbefl, and an operaring; member on the roadbed having an inclined face movable into andout et' the path of the movable rod.

A means for preventing trains from passing 'block signals comprisingr an air pipe connected to the air-brake system. a iixed valve member included -in said pipe and provided with' aside port, a movablevnlve member carried b v the tixed valve member and having a port open to the air and movable into and out of coincidence with the poi-tin the lixed member: nnarm fast' on said movable member. a vertically movable rod carried by the engine and having; its upper end in'direct'operative relation to the arm on the movable member of the .valve and its lower-.enti adjacent to the rondbcd. and an inclined mem-y berv on the roadbed movable into and out ot' ,the-path o the vertically movable rod. i

yIl..\ means for preventing trains fromy passing `bio'rk signals eomprising' an air pipe communicating`- with the air-brake system on a train. a valve in said ainpipe'tor puttingY the latter in communication with the atmosphere. an arm on said valve. verticali;Y movable rod having its upper end in direct operative relation to the arm on the valve and its lower end provided with a roller. a roadbed member composed olif a spring having a normal tendency to move into the, path of theroller on' the ro'd. und means for movingy said sprint,Y member out of thel path oi the .regt

-L'A means for preventing trains. from passingv block signals comprising an air' pipe on the engine `.connected with the air-brake system, awaive iny said pipe; an :nin projecting from said valve, a vertically movable rod earried by theengine and havingits upper end in operative relation to the 'arm on sadvalve and its lower, 'end provided with a roller, a roadb d member composed of a springl having a normal tendenev to movel into the patti et" said roller. connections betwlm said spring memben and an operating lever loeatedndjacent to the roadw-aig'a semaphore signal'target, and connections between the oper-.it-

i ing lever and the semaphore target' for moving.;- the latter and the Spring4 member in Iunison.r

that we' claim the foregoing our signatures .in the presence In testimony we have hereto affixed two witnesses."

` JOHN SIIANNUN. JAMES 'l-l. ,WOOD

Witnesses Amex. BAfXs'rI-:i v i). Soms tjonicx.

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